Race Differences in Attitudinal and Motivational Factors in the Decision to Marry

Bulcroft, Richard; Bulcroft, Kris

doi:10.2307/352806

Cited by 109 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This conclusion has prompted researchers to look for cultural roots of ethnoracial differences in marriage and cohabitation (Katz 2001;Mitchell 2001;Oropesa 1996). The literature has also highlighted the role of the structure of economic opportunities and corresponding perceptions in shaping ethnic and race-specific marital preferences and choices (Bulcroft and Bulcroft 1993;Manning and Smock 1995;Oppenheimer et al 1997). A combination of these cultural and structural factors (similar, in principle, to the case of East European Gypsies described above) leads to enduring ethnoracial differences in attitudes toward marriage and desires to marry (Bulcroft and Bulcroft 1993;Katz 2001;Oropesa 1996;Oropesa et al 1994;South 1993).…”

Section: Conceptualizationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Culture, Modernization, and Politics: Ethnic Differences in Union Formation in Kyrgyzstan

Agadjanian

Dommaraju

2010

Eur J Population

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The unique cultural and political history of Central Asia has produced intriguing ethnic variations in union formation. We use data from a survey of 1,535 young adults conducted in 2005 in northern Kyrgyzstan to examine ethnic patterns of entry into marriage versus cohabitation. To reflect the historic-cultural and political realities of Kyrgyzstan, we subdivide ethnic Kyrgyz into two categories based on the degree of linguistic Russification-more-Russified Kyrgyz and less-Russified Kyrgyz-and compare them to each other and to respondents of European origin. The results of the multinomial discrete-time logit models show significant differences among the three groups. Thus, Europeans were most likely to enter cohabitation whereas less-Russified Kyrgyz were least likely to do so, net of other factors. The three groups were lined up in the converse order with respect to probability of entering marriage, but upon breakdown by gender this ordering was present only among women. In contrast, among men, more-Russified Kyrgyz were less likely to marry than both less-Russified Kyrgyz and Europeans. We interpret these findings in light of long-term historic-cultural and demographic distinctions as well as more recent politically induced cleavages in Kyrgyzstan.

show abstract

Section: Conceptualizationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Culture, Modernization, and Politics: Ethnic Differences in Union Formation in Kyrgyzstan

Agadjanian

Dommaraju

2010

Eur J Population

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We construct a measure of the average housing price at the prefecture level for the Wilson 1987;Bulcroft and Bulcroft 1993). We add ethnicity in our analysis (1 if minority).…”

Section: Variables and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the Determinants of Marriage Entry in Post-Reform Urban China

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Using national survey data and measures of housing prices, we examine the effects of demographic and socioeconomic determinants of entry into marriage in urban China spanning the past six decades. Our study yields three significant findings. First, the importance of economic prospects has significantly increased during the economic reform era. Second, the positive effect of working in the state-owned sector has substantially weakened. Third, for the most recent period after the housing reform in urban China, the effects of education vary with local housing prices. Specifically, a higher level of education is associated with early entry into marriage when housing prices are relatively high but with late entry into marriage when housing prices are relatively low. Taken together, these results suggest that the determinants of marriage in China should be understood within a broader context of institutional changes.

show abstract

“…Social scientists have posited numerous theories to account for this "retreat from marriage," including economic (e.g., Becker, 1981;Moffitt, 2002), structural (e.g., Lichter, McLaughlin, Kephart, & Landry, 1992;Wilson, 1987), and social/cultural (e.g., Axinn & Thornton, 2000;Bulcroft & Bulcroft, 1993) explanations.…”

Section: Chapter One: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One explanation that has received surprisingly little empirical attention -despite its anecdotal popularity -is the hypothesis that cultural changes in the meaning of marriage over the last few decades have led Americans to embrace high, sometimes unattainable, standards for marriage (Bulcroft & Bulcroft, 1993;Cherlin, 2004;Coontz, 2005; GibsonDavis, Edin, & McLanahan, 2005). From this perspective, culture-wide endorsement of the ideal that marriage should be one's most intimate and fulfilling adult relationshipcoupled with the increasingly voluntary nature of marriage itself -has encouraged individuals to set a high bar for what constitutes a marriageable partner and to refrain from marrying if this bar cannot be met.…”

Section: Chapter One: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chasing Prince Charming: Partnering consequences of holding unrealistic standards for a spouse

Bredow

2015

Personal Relationships

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although social scientists have generally assumed that people's standards for a spouse shape their marital behavior, systematic investigations of the role of mate standards in partnering have been rare. Using survey data collected from 471 unmarried individuals and their peer informants, this study used a novel, residual‐based approach to quantify the attainability (rather than the absolute stringency) of people's standards for a spouse. Regression analyses using this index of unrealistic criteria revealed that holding less realistic standards for a marriage partner was associated with several indicators of a propensity to delay or forgo marriage, including greater difficulty establishing high‐quality romantic relationships, lower expectations to marry one's current partner, and lower levels of psychological and behavioral investment in marrying.

show abstract

Race Differences in Attitudinal and Motivational Factors in the Decision to Marry

Cited by 109 publications

References 0 publications

Culture, Modernization, and Politics: Ethnic Differences in Union Formation in Kyrgyzstan

Culture, Modernization, and Politics: Ethnic Differences in Union Formation in Kyrgyzstan

Changes in the Determinants of Marriage Entry in Post-Reform Urban China

Chasing Prince Charming: Partnering consequences of holding unrealistic standards for a spouse

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About